staying in the uk after study

On this page is information about the different options available if you wish to remain in the UK after studying. These include:

• Work after study: this is for skilled workers with a job offer from a registered employer
• The Graduate Route: allows students who complete their course after Summer 2021 to remain in the UK for 2 years
• Start-up visa: directed at entrepreneurs with a business idea which exploits a gap in the market
• EU settlement scheme: for students who were already a UK resident before 1 January 2021

This page is regularly updated, but for the most accurate information, see the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

The Skilled Worker Route (formerly Tier 2) is the main immigration route for working in the UK and is for skilled workers - graduates with a job offer from a registered employer.

Students can switch into the Skilled Worker Route as long as they have current Student / Tier 4 leave. Students must have successfully completed and passed a UK-recognised Bachelors or Postgraduate degree. Their university must be an education provider which holds a licence for sponsoring students under the Student Route of the points-based system. If you have been issued a confirmation of sponsorship (COS) from your new employer and the job meets the requirements, you can apply from within the UK. Visit the UKCISA website for further guidance.

It is important to note that Visa sponsorship is required by an employer and the visa is linked to a specific job. The employer must be on the UKVI Sponsor Register for Employers and they must hold a license.

The employer must be willing to issue a COS. You cannot switch employer with a Skilled Worker visa. You should ask your sponsor to confirm the salary details on the COS. You do not need to send any other evidence of your appropriate salary.

Employers can apply to the Home Office for a COS to employ a particular graduate and, if successful, the graduate can then make an immigration application to remain in the UK under the Skilled Worker Route of the points-based system of immigration, using this COS. Once the COS has been submitted to UKVI, you can start your job before receiving the decision.

The Resident Labour Market Test has now been discontinued which means that an employer can offer you the job if you are the best person for the post, even if there are suitable applicants from the UK / European Economic Area.

For more information on Skilled Worker visas please visit: The Skilled Worker Route

Important notice: You MUST NOT apply for this visa until you have received an email from the university SIAC Team confirming that you are eligible. Applying before this will result in your visa application being refused.

The Graduate Route visa opened for applications on 1 July 2021. Some key things to note are:

• You must have completed an undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree or doctorate level qualification at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance (which includes Leeds Beckett University) to apply. Some other courses may be eligible but are limited to those specified by UKVI
• You must have successfully completed your study with us and have received your final award results in Results Online
• Before applying, you must wait until you have received an email from the SIAC team confirming that you are eligible. Receiving the email means that we have informed UKVI of your course results and that you are eligible for the Graduate Route. We cannot do this until after your official Exam Board. An email will be sent to you shortly after receiving your results online
• You must have arrived for study in the UK by the appropriate deadline (this depends on when you started study). For those who started a course in the 2020-21 academic year, 27 September 2021 is the deadline to arrive in the UK (changed previously from 21 June 2021). We would recommend keeping evidence of travel dates (such as a boarding pass / travel tickets) especially if you have not obtained an arrival stamp in your passport
• You must apply from within the UK and have a valid Student / Tier 4 visa at the time of applying
• The Graduate Route will require a new visa application and will require an application fee and two years' payment of Immigration Health Surcharge (non-student rate)

Successful applicants on this route will be able to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for a maximum period of two years (three years for PhD graduates). You can find out more on the route and associated fees on the government website. Graduates will be able to switch into skilled work from this route if they have found a suitable job.

Those whose Student / Tier 4 leave expires before receiving their final exam board results will unfortunately not be eligible.

The Start-Up Visa is an immigration route for entrepreneurs looking to set up a business in the UK for the first time.

Leeds Beckett University is an endorsing body under this visa route and has chosen to restrict its endorsements to our own graduates. If you have a business idea that fits the Start Up criteria, please contact us on siac@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.